Chemical Sanitizing

What factors influence the effectiveness of a chemical sanitizer?

When should the sanitizing solution used for storing wet wiping cloths be refilled?

How are items chemically sanitized?

Clean the food-contact surface first, then sanitize it to kill any pathogens. What sanitizing method is commonly used in food service?

The water pH must be 5 or less when preparing an Iodine sanitizer solution, or follow the manufacturer’s recommendation if different. What should the water pH be when preparing a quats sanitizer solution?

Why should you make sure that the test kits for checking the concentration of sanitizer solutions are always available and accessible for staff?

Chemicals can be used to sanitize surfaces. The sanitizing solution must be prepared correctly and have contact with the surface for enough time to kill pathogens. How can the surfaces of tableware, utensils, and equipment make contact with the sanitizing solution?

What is measured in parts per million (ppm) and indicates how much chemical sanitizer is mixed with the water in a sanitizer solution?

When sanitizing stationary equipment, the sanitizer concentration must be at the required level. What is important to remember when applying the sanitizer to the surfaces?

Your supplier needs to know the pH of your water to determine the correct amount of sanitizer to use. How can you find out what the pH of your water is?

Where should wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and equipment surfaces be stored between uses?

Hard water is when a water supply has a high level of natural minerals dissolved in it. Hard water reduces the effectiveness of chemical sanitizers. Follow manufacturer guidelines for chlorine and iodine solutions. What level of water hardness should quats be prepared for?

A sanitizing solution must be at the correct temperature to be effective. How can you know the temperature requirements for the sanitizers used in your operation?

Besides concentration, temperature, contact time, and water hardness, what other factor is critical for the effectiveness of chemical sanitizers?

What are some guidelines for the effective use of QUATs (Quaternary Ammonium Compounds) sanitizer?

Which government agencies regulate chemical sanitizers?

What is contact time?

What kind of equipment is designed for cleaning and sanitizing solutions to be pumped through it?

Which is true about quats sanitizer (quaternary ammonium compounds)?

Which is true about water hardness?

Which is a standard method of sanitizing surfaces in a food service operation?

What is determined by the amount of minerals in your water and can affect how well a sanitizer works?

Why does a chemical sanitizer solution need to make contact with the surface being sanitized for a specific amount of time?

Make sure to check the concentration of a sanitizer solution with the correct test kit for the type of sanitizer being used. Where can you be sure to get the right test kits?

When should the sanitizing solution in a three-compartment sink be changed?

Sanitizer solutions become less effective and should be changed when they get dirty or contain too much leftover detergent, hard water, or pieces of food. When else should sanitizer solutions be changed?

When too much sanitizer is added to water, the concentration of the solution will be too high. Besides making food taste bad, what else can happen?

How do dishwashers sanitize items?

How are these chemicals used in food service operations?

• Chlorine
• Iodine
• Quats (quaternary ammonium compounds)

How should the third sink be used for sanitizing in a three-compartment sink?

The contact time for a sanitizer solution is how long it must contact a surface to kill the pathogens on it. What is the contact time for a chlorine sanitizer?

When preparing a quats sanitizer solution, ServSafe recommends a water temperature of 75°F. What water temperature does ServSafe recommend for an iodine sanitizer solution?

How does time affect a chemical sanitizers effectiveness?

Both iodine and quats sanitizers need at least 30 seconds, and chlorine sanitizers need at least 7 seconds of contact with a surface to kill pathogens. What are these time specifications called?

When preparing a chlorine sanitizer solution, the water temperature depends on the pH of your water. For a pH of 8 or less, the water temperature should be between 75°F and 100°F. What should the temperature be if the pH is higher than 8?

What should be monitored when using a chemical-sanitizing dishwasher?

The concentration of a chlorine sanitizing solution should be between 50 and 99 ppm. And for iodine, it should be between 12.5 and 25 ppm. What should the concentration of a quats sanitizing solution be?

Surfaces that do NOT have contact with exposed food only need to be cleaned and rinsed to prevent the buildup of dirt. Why do surfaces that have contact with exposed food need to be cleaned, rinsed, and sanitized?

What kind of units are used to measure concentration?

When sanitizing food contact surfaces, ensure the entire surface has enough contact time with the sanitizing solution. What is the correct tool to use for applying the sanitizing solution?

Water hardness can affect how well a sanitizer works. How can you find out how much sanitizer to use for your water?

When maintaining a chemical-sanitizing machine, clear its spray nozzles if a build-up of food or debris prevents them from working correctly. What other kind of build-up should be removed if needed?

A chemical-sanitizing machine is a dishwasher that uses chemicals to sanitize items. What advantage does this type of dishwasher have compared to a high-temperature machine?

What should chemical sanitizing machines be checked for at least once a day?

ServSafe recommends a water temperature of 68°F for an iodine sanitizer solution. What water temperature is recommended by ServSafe for a quats sanitizer solution?

How long do quats and iodine sanitizer solutions need to make contact with a surface to kill pathogens?

Each of these can change how well a chemical sanitizing solution works:

• Concentration
• Temperature
• Contact time
• Water hardness
• pH

What is a chemical sanitizing solution?

What kind of mixture can an operation with a two-compartment sink use once to clean and again to sanitize?

After finding out what your water hardness is from your municipality, who should you work with to identify the correct amount of sanitizer to use?

What items can be sanitized by soaking them in a chemical sanitizing solution or running them through a high-temperature dishwashing machine?

What’s the difference between Contact Time and Onset Time?

What happens if NOT enough sanitizer is used and the concentration of a sanitizer solution is too low?